Two sides of the same coin

So over the last couple of weeks things have taken a turn for the crazy, and I'm feeling more and more aware that so many experiences in our lives are just opposite sides of the same coin.

We see the one experience, or the one piece of information from two totally different perspectives based on the time of day, whether you're hungry or whether you're wearing your favourite socks while eating your favourite meal.

And the power to be objective seems so far away.

So much joy, love and hope, and so much confusion, exhaustion and discouragement.

But in the midst of it, God is still so good.

I believe in a thing called love

It's been a crazy few weeks, and I just sent out a really tough newsletter yesterday, with some of the stuff that's been going on.

I know I've hinted here about how we've been either sad or sleep deprived or overwhelmed.

But yeah. That's all true. But that doesn't have to be the whole story.

I was talking to a really good friend today, my dearest Laura-loo, and while we don't always see eye to eye on everything, we have been through a lot, and she is so special to me. And both of us have been through some ups and downs today, and she said to me today 'there's something really important about just choosing to be happy. I like myself better when i'm happy, so i'm going to be happy'

Now I get that you can't just pretend that everything is rosy all the time, but this morning I woke up with the realisation that discouragement is an insidious and scarily effective tool of the enemy. That sneaky voice that connects everything to everything else, that says that this one new thing is just that next link in your chain of failures and bad news and that you really are a failure. Like Gloria in Modern Family said 'you didn't just do one thing wrong, you do everything wrong.....if you do that I kill you!' (slightly out of context, but *shrug*

Just before we got married, our pastors gave us a couple of marriage books to read, and one of them talked about a "Habit of Happiness"

Choosing to look at the things of your day to day life, yes, as parts of a whole, but also just as individual parts that while they can really truly deeply suck and drain you of all your energy, don't have to rule you. Choosing joy and choosing life isn't easy, and it's one of those things I am even hesitant to write about because it's like when you were in sunday school and they told you to pray for patience, and then everything is harder, more annoying and takes longer and you realise that's how patience grows. What happens when I say 'damn you discouragement (in the fullest sense of those loaded words) I am choosing joy.

Monday was our 2 year wedding anniversary. Two years ago on the 4th of July, 2009, Mark and I became man and wife. It's not always easy, it's not always dignified, but I am so happy that I get to live out life with my best friend. Especially after weeks like this when I know we are in it together....... I was reading my dear friends' blog today (http://www.teampallister.com) and I stumbled on their ultimate road trip playlist....and I found this song....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRYNYb30nxU

I always said I would play it at my wedding, but some how it slipped my mind..(plus my dad said he would leave if i did hehehe)

Have a listen, and enjoy, in honour of my dear husband Mark, believe in a thing called love :)